Mets rally, beat Braves in 10th

ATLANTA — Marlon Byrd was hardly surprised to see David Wright crush a home run off Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.

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By The Associated Press

recordonline.com

By The Associated Press

Posted May. 4, 2013 at 2:00 AM

By The Associated Press
Posted May. 4, 2013 at 2:00 AM

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ATLANTA — Marlon Byrd was hardly surprised to see David Wright crush a home run off Braves closer Craig Kimbrel.

"We expect it," Byrd said. "He's unbelievable how he comes through. It seems like every single day we jump on his back."

Wright hit the tying home run in the ninth inning and the Mets scored twice in the 10th to rally for a 7-5 victory over the Atlanta Braves on Friday night.

The Mets, who have won two in a row after dropping six straight, scored four of their first five runs on homers — including a solo shot by Byrd in the eighth — before taking a two-run lead off Jordan Walden (1-1) in the 10th.

But it was Wright's seventh homer that stunned the crowd at Turner Field and helped hand the Braves a third straight loss and an 11th defeat in their last 16 games.

Even Wright seemed surprised that Kimbrel, who had converted 98 of 110 career save opportunities, left a fastball up in the strike zone.

"He's as dominant as anybody in the game," Wright said. "You've just got to hope he makes a minor mistake or really you don't have much of a chance."

In the 10th, pinch-hitter Jordany Valdespin drew a two-out walk from Walden and stole second base when closer Bobby Parnell squared around to bunt while taking a strike on the first pitch he saw.

Collins then pulled Parnell and brought in pinch-hitter Mike Baxter in the middle of the at-bat.

After Walden hit Baxter with a pitch, Ruben Tejada followed with an RBI single to score Valdespin from second and make it 6-5.

Baxter, who advanced to third on Tejada's hit, scored on Daniel Murphy's RBI single off Luis Avilan for a 7-5 lead. Jeurys Familia earned his first save by retiring facing the minimum in the bottom half of the 10th.

Walden gave up two runs while getting just two outs.

Parnell (2-0) got two outs for the win.

Braves starting pitcher Mike Minor retired the last 18 batters he faced, but left for a pinch-hitter in the seventh with the score tied 3-all.

Minor didn't receive a decision after Byrd's solo homer off Eric O'Flaherty in the eighth made it 4-4.

Byrd helped boost New York's confidence, too, especially against an Atlanta bullpen that led the majors with a 1.94 ERA and was tied for the best opponents' batting average at .208.

"When O'Flaherty came in," Collins said, "you were hoping you were going to scratch something out."